For pool lighting, it may be desirable to control a color and brightness of light output by a pool lighting system. Providing control signals to a controller of the pool lighting system may present challenges. For example, while wireless communication signals (e.g., radio frequency signals) provide an inexpensive and effective mechanism to control electronics, the wireless communication signals are unable to penetrate substantial depths of water to reach any submerged controller of the pool lighting system. Thus, the radio frequency signal may be completely attenuated before reaching the controller of the pool lighting system. Moreover, a system relying on counting power signal pulses to control a change of the pool lighting system to a lighting profile associated with the number of power signal pulses detected may be slow due to time requirements of the on and off pulse cycles. Further, the number of lighting profiles available to the pool lighting system may be limited due to an amount of time associated with each on and off pulse cycle.
Because pool lighting systems typically use 12V AC power, a transformer is often positioned between the pool lighting systems and a primary power source (e.g., 120V AC). Communication signals transmitted along powerlines (e.g., powerline communication schemes such as X10, UPB, Homeplug, etc.) are generally unable to cross a transformer, which prevents provision of the communication signals across already existing wiring. Implementation of the powerline communication scheme may require new firmware, a Lo2Hi and Hi2Lo modem, error checking, independent addressing, and new hardware (e.g., a coupler across the transformer). The additional components used in such a powerline communication scheme may add excessive costs and complexity for installation of a system to existing pool lighting systems. This cost and complexity may lead to reduced adoption by consumers and dealers of the pool lighting systems. Further, adding additional (or proprietary) components adds to the complexity of the product itself, which increases the opportunities for failure and potentially makes the product less reliable. The powerline communication scheme may also have a slow latency response.